Queen of Hearts
by Kiora Storm
Summary: Maria Kanellis and CM Punk have a stable relationship. Will a John CenaMaria storyline tear them apart? CM PunkMariaJohn Cena, outcome?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **Here's to a new fic! More author's note at the end.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the idea.

**Chapter 1**

The alarm blared at the ungodly hour of 3:00 AM. Maria had only been lying in bed for a few hours when she had to get up and make her way to the airport to get to the next arena hosting RAW as quickly as possible. Not too long ago, she was in an OVW arena, in a match to further develop her latest feud. At the moment, she was trapped in the embrace of her boyfriend, CM Punk. She didn't want to wake him. As much as she would love for him to see her off, she knew he needed his rest; the men wrestle harder than the girls do.

She pulled CM Punk's arm off from around her waist, moving to tiptoe to the bathroom to get ready. The flight was at six, and she needed to arrive at the airport two hours before takeoff. Maria sighed, packing a few things that weren't already put away while brushing her teeth. By 3:30, everything was packed, and Maria was ready, dressed in Juicy Couture velour sweats with her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail. She kissed Punk on the forehead before heading out the door. Before she closed the door, a mumbled "I love you, babe," met her ears, and she was ready to leave Kentucky.

* * *

Her mind was occupied the whole trip. Stephanie McMahon Levesque and Creative decided that her character needed a push. As much as the audience saw and loved her on Kiss Cam, they loved her more when she interviewed John Cena. She told Punk about the new storyline and that she and Cena would be having more on-screen time together, maybe even a kay-fabe relationship. She didn't tell him that she would have to do autograph signings and potentially have photos circulating with her good friend. She hoped that crazy fangirls wouldn't insist on a picture of them kissing. 

As much as he trusted her, she feared that Punk would see the pictures and think the wrong thing.

Maria arrived at the arena. She and John planned to meet there before heading off to the mall for an autograph signing. She walked past the crew setting up the ring and other venue accoutrements. She saw Creative still meeting with Stephanie to discuss the angles certain storylines would take. She stopped when she heard a loud cheer coming from the men's locker room.

Tentatively opening the door, she saw the male portion of the RAW roster huddled around a TV set, engrossed in a football game.

"Who's playing?" she interrupted. The men quickly straightened up in the presence of a female. They all smiled innocently.

"Bears vs. Pats," Triple H, piped up.

"Ohmigod, Bears!" Maria exclaimed. "Move over, boys," she said, squeezing herself between John and Triple H on the couch.

"You might not want to sit next to John, sweets," Edge said. "He's sore because Tom Brady and the Pats are losing."

"Aww, ickle Johnny-kins is sad that his babies are losing to the better team?" Maria teased.

The rest of the boys let out a low, "oooh." Edge whistled, "Burn."

"Whatcha gonna do now, Cena?" Carlito asked.

John looked at her with a mock angry face. "Y'know, it's not below me to put a girl in a headlock."

"You wouldn't dare," she gasped, wide-eyed.

"Just watch me," he said, and proceeded to grab her. Instead of putting her in a headlock, he gave her a noogie, as he would with his youngest brother, Boog.

"Ah, John, stop," she giggled, unsuccessfully trying to make his muscular arms budge.

"No." His grip grew a little tighter.

"What?" She slapped his side, incredulous at his antics.

"Not until you admit who the better team is."

"Bears!" she giggled.

While one arm maintained its grip on her head, the other moved to tickle her side. "Oh, you're going to get it now."

"Ah, haha, John, stop, please!" She tried pushing his arms away. "Okay, okay. I admit it, the Patriots are better!"

"See, now was that so hard?"

"Yeah, it was," Maria joked.

As everyone resumed watching the game, Shelton Benjamin looked between the two. He shook his head; if only they could see the potential they had together. He and the rest of the boys saw the promise that the two had together. That's why they gave CM Punk so much heat when he was backstage at Wrestlemania; they only wanted the best for the young Diva whom they considered their little sister. "Um, Ria? You know I love you, but did you come here for a reason, or did you just want to chill with your boys?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed. Her ditzy gimmick had some real-life beginnings, though not as extreme as her character would make viewers believe. "Yeah, John, we're supposed to head over for that autograph signing."

"What?" He whipped his head from the TV to the Diva sitting next to him. "We have an appearance today?"

"Yes," Maria nodded, speaking slowly as if talking to a child. "We have to go and meet fans, and say hi, and sign autographs, and take pictures."

"But, but, the _game_," John insisted.

Maria was about to reply that they had to leave now, but Stephanie McMahon-Levesque interrupted her before she could. "Cena, have you left yet? The game can wait."

"Steph, the game is live. We don't have the power to stop it so John can kiss up to fangirls," Triple H corrected.

"It's going to replay on ESPN later anyway," Maria insisted. "Now, come on, John. Let's go before we're late."

"Thank you, Maria," Stephanie sighed. "At least I have you to counter the boys' arguments with."

"No problem. I do this with my boyfriend all the time," Maria answered. "Now get to stepping, mister. We've got fans to please."

"Wait up," Stephanie called. "There was another reason that I came over to find John. It's great that you were there too, Maria. Your kay-fabe relationship starts tonight. We've been leading up to this moment, strategically putting you two together to imply a budding relationship. Now that you are established as 'in like,' Creative and I think that it's the perfect step for you to 'be together.' To make this believable, though, you've got to stay in kay-fabe whenever you're outside the ring and in the fans' eyes. You've got to make them believe that you're together. Got it?"

John and Maria nodded, saying their goodbyes to everyone and promising to meet up with the boys before RAW.

* * *

John and Maria sat in the car listening intently to the football game on the radio. Neither wanted to move. Maria came to her senses first and realized that they had to be out there in a few minutes. 

"John," she called, breaking him from his reverie. "We've got to go now."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."

Before he could leave the car, Maria pulled him back. "Hey, make it real. Remember that."

"If you're sure," he replied. "Then wait here. I'm going to make it real." Maria looked on confusedly as he exited his door and made his way around the car to her side. There, he opened the door for her in a gentlemanly fashion. John offered his arm, "Milady? Your fans await."

Maria giggled as she linked her arm with his, CM Punk not even a second thought, focus wholly on the man next to her, "Let's do this."

* * *

"Can you believe that girl asked us to kiss, just because she wanted to believe we're going out?" John was shocked; he didn't think fans would be this interested in the storyline. He and Maria were driving back to the arena, recapping their time with the fans. 

"Or the guy who wouldn't stop hitting on me? Thank you so much for stepping in," Maria said.

He laughed it off, "It was worth it to see his face when I said your boyfriend wouldn't appreciate that."

"He ran away so fast, it wasn't even funny! You really scared him, John."

"But it's true, isn't it? Your boyfriend probably wouldn't appreciate that guy coming on to you." John seemed a little dejected at his statement. They finally arrived at the arena.

"See, that's why I have you, John, to fend off unwanted attention when the boyfriend isn't there to do so. Thanks for being a really great friend," she responded, giving him a friendly kiss on the cheek.

John smiled slightly as Maria exited the car before him. He sighed, taking a deep breath to bring himself back to reality. "Is that all I'll ever be, Maria?" he thought.

**Author's note:** So what do you guys think? Good, bad, or indifferent, I want to know how you feel about this. I'm hoping that this will be somewhat long and drawn out. I want to develop the story as much as I can before the end. I don't think I'm going to focus on matches in this fic, but if there's something you want to see, leave a review and tell me. I'll see what I can do. This was inspired by the real-life relationship between CM Punk and Maria Kanellis. I love John Cena/Maria so much, though, so I had to have a fic that expresses this. The reference to backstage heat at Wrestlemania is true; I read that CM Punk had a lot of backstage heat because of his relationship with Maria at a reliable wrestling news site. While you wait for the next chapter, read my first fic, _Daydream of a Boy_, and review! --Kiora Storm


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** I love how everyone's saying that it's great that CM Punk is in this fic. I'm apologizing in advance because I haven't seen a CM Punk match. All I know is that he is going out with Maria. I don't live in an area that gets OVW either, and I don't have any means of finding insight to his persona. If I'm totally disgracing CM Punk's in-ring character, tell me and I'll see what I can do.

And thank you to all my readers and reviewers! Hearing feedback from you means a lot to me.

**Chapter 2**

The crowd was intense, energy pulsing through the arena in anticipation for an appearance of John Cena. When Maria and Trish were seen talking backstage, it seemed as if their wishes were granted. Subtle hints at a growing relationship between Maria and Cena were insinuated for the past few weeks, and many fans were eagerly anticipating the direction this storyline would take. It wasn't long until John appeared in the screen to the cheers of thousands of fans.

Cena sidled up to the two Divas. "Hello, ladies," he greeted.

"Hey, John. What's up?" Maria inquired, giggling as she looked at Trish.

"I was just wondering if I could talk to you really quickly before my match." There was a sense of nervousness surrounding the Cena kid. Few would realize the fear and anticipation masked by the aura of confidence he so normally exuded.

"Sure," Maria enthusiastically replied. Her eyes twinkled with excitement and she turned to Trish, "I'll catch up with you later?" Trish nodded and bid farewell to her friend. Once out of Cena's sight, Trish turned back to her friend, secretly winking and giving her a thumbs-up sign.

"We're good, right?" John began unsurely. "I mean, we're," he paused, "friends?" He hesitantly continued, "I was wondering if maybe… you'd like to come ringside with me?"

She looked a little confused. "But I'm not in a match tonight," she said, shaking her head.

John chuckled at her innocence. "Not like that," he corrected. "I mean as my valet."

Maria perked up, as she seemed to realize what he was trying to say. "Okay, where's your car?"

He frowned a little. She still didn't understand. "No, like, go down to the ring with me to tell everybody that you're my girl."

Realization dawned on her. Maria's eyes grew wide and the weight the situation held. She wasn't sure if she was ready for such a relationship. Soon, she settled on her answer, "Ohh. Yeah, I'll do that." She smiled. The man of her dreams reciprocated her feelings.

"All right," Cena smiled. "Let's get going then."

He quickly pulled her in for a kiss. When he pulled away, Maria was still reeling from shock. John wrapped an arm around her shoulder, guiding her to the Gorilla position.

* * *

"Is it like that every time? The energy from the crowd just pulses through your body and overtakes your senses?" Maria sat across from John at a small restaurant after the RAW taping. As Cena's valet, Maria had the opportunity to enter the ring after his win and lift her hands in victory. She was recounting the emotions and energy she felt from the crowd to Cena, who felt this power all the time.

Cena appeased the young Diva by nodding. "It's overwhelming, but you get used to it. You'll have to, anyway, especially if you and I become a long-term storyline."

"Oh, I hope so!" Maria's eyes lit up in excitement. "I loved being out there! I don't get the opportunity enough, and Kiss Cam is a little unsatisfying. And women's matches don't occur often enough. I want to be out there, with the fans. I want to make an impact."

She was interrupted by a tired-looking waitress bringing them their late dinner. Silence overtook the pair while they ate, but a growing number of fans whispering noisily gathered to make up for the calm.

John pretended not to notice the good-sized crowd congregated inside the restaurant, presumably to get a picture or autograph with him and Maria. He chose not to voice his suspicions aloud and instead leaned over to whisper in Maria's ear. "Don't look now, but there's a bunch of fans staring at us. Remember to stay in character; we're going out, okay? Once I pull away, make it look like I whispered something cute to you."

He pulled away, a slight smile gracing normally hard features. Maria's head was tilted slightly downward, a grin playing across her face. She looked as if he just told her answers to all the mysteries in the world. She slowly looked up to meet his playful eyes, beaming more largely. A giggle passed, and she sheepishly looked down once again.

They opted not to get dessert, citing fatigue as a logical response. The waitress brought their check, and after paying, he grasped her hand in his, leading her to the small mob of fans.

They attempted to please as many fans as possible, posing for pictures individually and signing numerous autographs. The routine grew repetitious after doing the same thing with seemingly every fan, until one teenage girl with a heart for the business and getting whisked away from the grandeur of the storylines approached the couple.

"Can I take a picture with and of you two?" she timidly asked. "Like, one of you together, and then one with me? Please?"

Thoughts raced through John's head. Should he allow the picture to be taken? Would Maria be okay with it? It would kill the storyline if he and Maria refused; he didn't want Vince mad at him because of such a trifling incident. Before he could acquiesce, the young Diva wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling brightly for the camera. He masked his shock quickly with a comfortable grin.

"Um," the girl began in trepidation, "could you maybe kiss?" She paused. "Or are you not really going out?"

Not to be outsmarted by a seventeen-year-old, John was quick, though not so quick as to arouse suspicion, to pull Maria in for a deep, sensuous kiss. He pulled away slowly, a soft smile to the girl in his arms, eyes still closed and reeling from the kiss.

John gained a sense of normalcy first. "I'm sorry, guys," he apologized, "but we have to get going. We've got to sleep before we head off to the next city." Maria joined him in apologizing. He took her hand in his, kissing it, then led her to the rental car parked not too far away.

He made his way around the car and sat in the driver's seat. What from outside the car looked like a romantic moment between the two was actually an unsure rapport. Sure of the direction their storyline was taking, both were confused about what they felt inside. She had a commitment to another man; he was going through this with no strings attached to any female. She thought she felt nothing but friendship to the man sitting next to her; he knew that he liked this girl as more than just a friend.

"Does it still feel weird?" he began, "Kissing me?" A pause. "I could ask Stephanie to cut the storyline now, before people are too much invested in it."

"No, it's okay," she replied. Though she was unsure herself, she spoke a little confidently. "I think I'll be all right. I'll just have to tell Phil (CM Punk) about it; he'll probably be overprotective and ask me to narrate whatever the night's segment will demand of us."

He mentally shook his head. He knew how overprotective Phil Brooks was of Maria. It was a little overwhelming, and he got to hear about it every week when he and Maria hung out before RAW. He wished that Phil would

"Okay, so we're good now. Let's get going. I'm tired," he yawned. They headed to the hotel in comfortable silence.

* * *

The girl who took a picture of John and Maria's kiss quickly uploaded the pictures to her computer then to an image hosting website. She logged in to LiveJournal and clicked the link to CM Punk's Live-Journal. Taking the link to the picture of the kiss, she made to post a new comment on Punk's LJ.

_Punk,_ she began typing, _I was at a WWE event and saw John Cena and Maria after the show in a compromising position. Thought you'd like to know._ With the html coded to post the picture as well, she posted the comment in hopes that CM Punk would see what was going on when he wasn't around.

She smiled at her handiwork.

* * *

The "Lords of Pain" website boasted a new headline soon after RAW. "John Cena and Maria" was all it took to draw in people browsing the website.

Having clicked on the link, one would be able to find a blurb about the kiss after RAW. _John Cena and Maria Kanellis were seen kissing at a restaurant after last night's RAW taping. They had dinner together and left together. Their status is unsure. Maria was last linked romantically to OVW developmental wrestler CM Punk, and Cena had no girlfriend to speak of. It is unsure if this scene was a shoot or a work, especially since WWE has chosen to blur the lines between fantasy and reality._

A few lines below the blurb was a link to a pro-wrestling pictures website. "John Cena and Maria kiss" was displayed in bold letters, inviting one to click and see pictures of post-show Cena and Maria. The pictures seemed to be submitted by someone at the restaurant, as Cena and Maria were seen having dinner, conversing, kissing, and ultimately leaving together.

* * *

Phil Brooks woke late the next day. Quickly checking his email before heading off to the gym, he found a full inbox of Live-Journal comments. Clicking on one, he saw:

_Punk, is saying that Cena and Maria are together! They kissed last night after the show. The website is even putting a link to pictures of them from last night, and it wasn't from the show. Are you and Maria still together?_

_Is that what all these comments are about?_ He wondered. He reassured himself that Cena and Maria were together for the storyline. Maria told him so before she left to go back on the road. He'd be able to ask her soon anyway, he rationalized, when she came to Kentucky for an OVW taping.

But he couldn't help but wonder if the kiss wasn't a work. He sensed something in Maria whenever she talked about John; she was freer, more energized. She felt like a different person when she talked about John. Sure, she talked about the other boys, her brothers, she would say, but the spark in her when she talked about Cena wasn't there. He couldn't help but wonder if he was losing his girl to the WWE's main man.

**AN:** OK, how was it? Review, please. Chapter 3 should be up soon. –Kiora Storm


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** I should be doing something for school, but I'd much rather write about what I dream up in my pretty little head.

**Chapter 3**

"Cena, wait up!" Stephanie McMahon-Levesque called across the hallway. She jogged a little to catch up with him.

John smiled slightly, "Hey, Steph, what's up?

"It was amazing!" she exclaimed beaming.

His brows furrowed. "What was?"

"The fan reaction to last week," she said as her smile grew bigger.

John remained confused. "But Maria just came down to the ring with me. It wasn't anything special."

"No, not that," the head of the Creative Department interrupted. "I meant after RAW. You and Maria kissed. It was great! I mean, yeah, I told you to make it real, but I didn't think you'd actually _kiss_ her! We got a ton of fanmail about it, and it's all over wrestling news and rumor sites Phenomenal! Creative and I decided that you two should travel together and go out after shows. Oh, and you're going to win your match against Edge tonight. We'll have you open RAW with a promo. You'll brag about being able to out-rate the 'Rated R Superstar.'"

"Whoa," Cena interrupted. "Wait, huh?" he asked, confusion written across his face.

"We'll find Maria once she gets to the building," she ignored. "Check in at you hotel so we can film the scene."

"And what will that scene be?" John asked timidly, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

Stephanie's face was aglow with excitement, _a storyline that will actually work,_ she thought. "You and Maria will be celebrating, a la Edge and Lita's 'Live Sex Celebration.' But you'll be more classy, opting to celebrate in the hotel. Since your match opens RAW, you'll 'head to the hotel' afterwards, which is when we'll show the clip that we'll film of you two going in."

She paused to breathe. "I'm thinking that Maria should be changing while the camera focuses on you sitting in the bed. The camera angle will imply that she is scantily clad or naked, getting a shot of her back, looking over her shoulder to you on the bed, something like that. You'll smile, and the scene will fade. It's genius!" she explained.

"All right…" John uneasily said. He didn't want to disagree with the boss's daughter, in fear of losing what good he had going for him. "If you say so…"

* * *

"You like what you see?" Maria asked.

"Oh, yeah, like that's believable," his voice laced with sarcasm. "I'd say it more seductively, hon."

"Ugh, John, with you as my critic, I don't think I'll ever get it right."

"You will," he encouraged. "We'll just rehearse a few more times. Ready? Ok, so you're in the bathroom, and I say, _Hey, baby, are you done yet? I can't wait to celebrate with you._" John's eyebrows wiggled as he over-exaggerated what he would act out in a few minutes. They were sitting in the hotel room practicing as cameramen set up their equipment.

Maria couldn't help but laugh at her friend. _What a dork, _she thought. Trying to keep a straight face despite John's antics, Maria continued. "I'm undressing and I reply, _Just a minute, babe. It'll be worth the wait, I promise._"

"You better make good of that promise," John joked, breaking the rhythm of the scene for a moment. "Ok, so then you come out, my jaw drops, and you say…"

"You like what you see?" Maria's voice dropped to a low, seductive tone, much different than her earlier, bubblier attempt at seduction.

John was taken aback for a moment. Did this girl know what she was doing? Was this a deliberate move on her part, or was this the product of his really good coaching? He opened and closed his mouth a few times; his lips formed the words, but no sound emerged. Finally, he spoke, "Yeah…yeah, that was really good."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up in excitement. "You think so?"

"I _really_, really think so," he replied. A moment passed, and he regained his composure. He was back to his normal, chillin-with-the-boys behavior. "That's _it_!" he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "That's what I'm talking about! You got it, girl. Now remember what Steph told us. We'll just be in here for a few minutes, film, and be done."

"Ok," she responded as she flopped down on the bed.

* * *

They began filming. Maria was dressed in her underwear, standing uncertainly before a lounging, comfortable Cena.

"You like what you see?" she whispered alluringly. She twirled her hair in her fingers as she waited for his response. _What's taking him so long?_ She thought. _Did he forget? I don't want to be standing here, like this, in front of him, for much longer. What is he thinking?_

Instead of remaining relaxed on the bed, Cena defied Stephanie's wishes. He stood to meet Maria, taking slightly shaking hands in his.

"Relax," he whispered. "Aren't you happy for me?"

He smiled, holding both her hands in one of his, drawing them close to his chest. With his other hand, he cupped her face gently, his thumb softly stroking her cheek. To her surprise, he leaned down and kissed her.

His move would normally illicit a berating, but she seemed so engrossed in the moment. Did she realize what she was doing? Did she realize what _he_ was doing? Did she know who she was kissing? What if she thought he was Phil? Would she regret this once they broke away and ceased filming?

He was caught up in the moment, drowning as fast as he could and he didn't want to be rescued. _On the brink of something beautiful_, he thought. _If only this was real_.

His hand released hers, and the kiss grew deeper. Her hands roamed his body, reaching under his shirt, tracing the defined muscles. His hand slipped down her neck and to her shoulder, gently tugging at a bra strap.

"And, cut," the cameraman said, breaking them from their reverie. Both pulled away quickly, shock setting in of what just transpired. "Let's get back to the arena, guys," he called as he began packing what little equipment he had.

"Maybe," John whispered, "you should change."

"Yeah, I'll go do that," she replied, a little too quickly.

_What did I just do?_ He questioned himself. _She probably hates me now. She'll tell CM, and our friendship will be done._ He sighed deeply, not noticing Maria emerge from the bathroom.

Now dressed in her RAW outfit, she inquired, "Are you ready to go?" She was unsure of their status, but she attempted to maintain a sense of normalcy between the two.

Broken from his thoughts, he shook his head of irrational thought. "Let's do this."

* * *

Phil Brooks sat in front of his TV, shocked at what events had just transpired on the screen. His girlfriend, Maria Kanellis, was kissing another man, and she wasn't supposed to.

_It's just a storyline_, she reassured him before she left for this week's road trip.

_I'd tell you if we had to kiss_, she said seconds before kissing Brooks himself.

_I still love you_, she whispered as she walked out the door.

"Bullshit," the words dropped gracelessly from his lips. He could sense something, a certain twinkle lingering in her eyes, a lively bounce in her demeanor. She didn't love him anymore. She didn't for some time now, he realized.

Phil Brooks picked up his cell phone and dialed the familiar number quickly. "Maria," he demanded, "What was that kiss about?"

She was confused. It took a moment to register who was calling and what the caller was talking about. Still confused, she asked, "What?"

"Were you supposed to kiss him? Huh? I'm not sure I want you in this storyline anymore," Brooks began to demand answers from her.

"But, Phil," she interrupted, "This is my job."

"I don't care. It's me or your job. What's it going to be, sweetheart?" Sarcasm dripped from his lips as he uttered the last word. What was once love was now replaced with anger, resentment, fear, jealousy.

"You can't possibly ask me to choose—" Maria was indignant.

"Well, I am. And I want an answer now," he demanded.

"No," she was shocked and incensed at his fury.

He realized why she would not have wanted to end the storyline. "You liked it didn't you? You liked having his lips on yours. That's why you don't want to end this."

"That's not true," Maria was quick to defend herself.

"It is an you know it," Brooks insisted. "You know what? I can't deal with this anymore. I can't deal with _you_ anymore. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He hung up the phone angrily, leaving a ringing tone in Maria's ear.

"But, Phil…I still…" She broke down and cried, not even able to finish the declaration of love for her boyfriend.

**AN:** OK, so that seemed all right. I'm not sure how I'm going to do Chapter 4, but I'll figure out something. It may take longer than expected, though. If anything is confusing, tell me. Read and review –Kiora Storm.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Hey guys, it's summer break, but I'll be taking summer school to finish my English credits for my senior year, so I don't know how that will affect updates. We'll see.

**Chapter 4**

She could vaguely hear the roar of a crowd somewhere around her. She wasn't sure, but she thought that the moans she could hear were emanating from her mouth. A whimper dropped from her lips unbeknownst to her when he pulled away.

A kiss, lingering for longer than necessary, was placed sweetly on her lips. Fingers gingerly traced the contours of her face, tracing the curve of her eye, the smooth surface of her check, finally twining themselves in the nape of her hair. Hands roamed what was the territory of another man. She failed to notice that her hands were doing the same.

Confusion rang clearly, as foggy as her mind was. She was in love, yes, but not with the man who was currently kissing her with such passion, such grace. Seven months ago, she fell in love with a boy with X's tattooed onto his wrists and a slogan across his abs. They had become best friends as well as lovers. Three months ago marked the first time she and the man embracing her kissed, though it was for a role. She certainly did not think that such a meaningless kiss would escalate to such proportions.

He was no longer acting, she realized. He truly felt this way, and this was the only way he could express what he felt. She didn't know whether to pity him, for not having the courage to tell her how he felt, or to commend him, for keeping distance between them while she had a boyfriend. To be flirty with her around the boys would be to question her commitment to the other, his friendship with her, as it would be to flirt with her alone.

This situation must be breaking his heart, ripping his soul.

Would he go through the day as if it were a dream? A perfect, excellent, lovely, dream-like existence? Would the lines between them blur, blurring the lines between friends and much more? Would he realize that this was not real, this was not **love**? If she told him, would it be too late?

* * *

Rage bubbled up inside of him. He should not have been this angry seeing his girlfriend kiss another, especially if it was for her job. But he sensed a change in her demeanor after her first kiss with Cena. She seemed rejuvenated, as one does in the early stages of a relationship, excited, refreshed.

"You're cheating on me," he bluntly stated. He looked in her eyes, seeing surprise instead of the guilt he expected.

"No," she replied incredulously. "How could you think I would ever do such a thing?"

He shook his head, chuckling dryly. "You're cheating on me," he repeated.

"If I'm cheating on you, then what constitutes cheating? Because I was kissing him for my _job_, not out of pleasure."

"Cheating is how you feel. It's not always what you do. I know you have to kiss him for the storyline, but I can see something in you. Something's changed. You're in love with him."

"What!" she exclaimed.

"It's true," he insisted. "You're in love with him." Defeat laced his words.

"Phil," she tugged at his arm as her words tugged at his heartstrings, "don't leave me."

Disbelieving eyes looked deeply into pleading ones. "Ri…"

"I'm not. Believe me. Please." Tears were threatening to spill over.

"Okay. Come here, you," he sighed, still doubtful. Though he opened his arms to her once again, his heart remained closed. _You're in love with him_, he thought, _and you're the only one who can't see it._

**AN: **Okay, was that weird? I was playing around with style, and this is what I got. I don't know how I feel about this chapter. This chapter was basically a filler chapter before things get…interesting, at least I hope, in chapter 5. If you didn't get what was going on in this chapter, it was Maria's thoughts during RAW when she and John had to kiss, then CM Punk/Phil Brooks confronting Maria about that incident. Look around for updates, if I'm not busy with summer school, probably one next week, two weeks at most. I hope –Kiora Storm.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** So English 101 is looking to be harder than I expected. Not because the work is difficult, but because the workload is quite large. I'm trying my best to sort-of pay attention in class while planning out the next chapters. We'll see. I recently looked over my notes for the story, and I found that some things for future chapters overlap with things that happened in previous chapters. I didn't realize that when I was writing some chapters.

I love my reviewers! You all brighten my day and inspire me to continue, even when I think I can't possibly write anymore. I want to dedicate this chapter to start-a-revolution, who's pretty much awesome. Go read her fic, _Between Friends_.

**Chapter 5**

"Hey, baby!" Maria waved giddily in front of CM Punk's face. It had been a week since she had last seen her boyfriend, and she was beyond excited to be working with him again, even if only for a short time. She didn't wait for his greeting in reply. Instead, she kissed him, and his arm routinely made its way around her waist.

"Mmm," she purred. "I missed that." Maria smiled slowly as she closed her eyes, seemingly rendering her oblivious to CM Punk's lack of reaction. But he didn't squeeze her in the ticklish spot right above her hip. She knew right there, or at least suspected, that something was not right. Confronting him seemed like the best idea.

She quirked her lips in a questioning expression that matched her furrowed brows. "Is something wrong?" she questioned. "You don't seem like yourself."

He merely looked down at her, tracing her features with his eyes. He was silent the whole time, finally breaking the tension with a kiss, no longer laced with emotion but void of love and passion he once had for her. Avoiding the question, he quickly made an excuse for himself.

"Hey, um, management needed to talk to me real fast. I'll see you after the show?" He made a hasty exit, not even slowing to hear her response.

Maria stood alone and confused in the OVW locker room. CM Punk was not acting like his normal self, yet everything seemed in order. She quickly brushed it off, thinking it was just one of those days for the illustrious CM Punk.

* * *

A soft knock came from the general direction of his door, and John called out to the person, "Door's open. Come on in."

He looked up from lacing his shoes to greet the guest and smiled. His favorite person, Maria, just walked through the door. "What's up, Ria?"

"John," she began. This seemed so familiar—this conversation, this interaction, this situation. She timidly entered his room before their tag match that fateful February night, and nothing seemed the same since.

She stood silently before him, twining her fingers through her hair as a means of distraction.

"What is it? What's up?" he inquired, genuinely curious as to what was bothering his favorite girl. "Come on, Ria, what's wrong?"

She unsurely began, "John…we're friends, right?"

John looked at her strangely. After all they had been through, after all those chillin-with-the-boys days, she doubted their friendship? He had found himself a silly, yet loveable, girl. "Of course, we're friends, Ri. Now what's really bothering you?"

"Um, well, you see, something's wrong with Phil."

"OK, you're going to have to be a little more specific here, hon."

"Well, I don't know much, really. There was just something about his kiss yesterday." John cringed at the thought. He hated the thought of the woman of his dreams kissing CM Punk. He wasn't fond of the relationship situation, considering his feelings, but he had to be happy for this girl.

"Something how?" he inquired, trying to help his friend. "What seemed different? Good different, like when you first hooked up? Or bad different?"

"That one!" Maria interjected. "It felt bad-different. Something felt wrong."

John put an arm around her as she sniffled. "It's okay. Do you know why? Maybe he was just having an off day or something. It happens to the best of us."

"But he didn't tickle me when he kissed me!"

"Oh, like this?" John smiled as he tickled the girl next to him. She fell back on the couch, laughing too hard to make him stop. That was how Stephanie McMahon-Levesque found them when she came inside John's locker room, looking for said male.

"Uh, guys?" Stephanie cleared her throat. John didn't move to get off Maria. Instead, the pair turned their heads to the intruder, he with a slight smile on his face. "Yeah, you have to tape a clip in a few minutes. I just wanted to tell you guys in case you forgot or something." Sensing the tension and possible awkwardness, Stephanie continued rambling, "Ok, so you guys were pretty busy, and I don't want to interrupt something like that. So yeah, uh, back to your regularly scheduled programming." It was a rare day when the boss's daughter became flustered, so she hastily made her exit.

John and Maria broke out in giggles at Stephanie's rambling. "Mmmkay, you ready to go?" Maria asked John. She wiggled out from underneath him and soon stood in front of the couch.

"Yeah," he replied. "You go on ahead, though. I need to finish something real quick."

"Alright. See you in a few, then, lover." She mock-alluringly drew out the last word, giggling profusely as she exited the room.

Cena fell back on the couch. He was glad he could get CM Punk off her mind for a few minutes, especially since he was acting strangely. But he was stuck in a bad place—between friendly and friendlier. _Lover?_ He thought. _I wish. _He was hurt because of the situation—hurt because he liked her and didn't want her to be with Punk, hurt because he hated seeing her upset, hurt because he couldn't possibly be anything more. Deep down, his shoulder devil was grinning devilishly. Deep down, he was ecstatic. Deep down, he knew this was the perfect opportunity for him to make his move on Maria.

* * *

Pushed up against a wall was not where she expected to be right now. She thought she was going to talk with the guy she was involved with in this storyline. But thoughts of interviews and kayfabe relationships were pushed to the back of her mind when lips captured hers. She passionately responded.

He pushed her higher up on the wall and pushed himself flush against her body. Things grew more heated as their little make-out session continued. A hand slowly inched its way up her skirt. Moans filled the otherwise silent room.

They broke apart angrily at the sound of a knock on the door. "What?" the man exclaimed.

"You've gotta be at the Gorilla with your girl in two," the man at the door responded.

"Okay," he called out, setting the girl on the floor. "You go on ahead," he told the girl. "I'll see you in a minute, alright, Tiff?"

Tiffany giggled and kissed CM Punk one last time before leaving. He was mesmerized by this green-eyed blonde with whom he was paired in this romantic storyline, and thoughts of Maria were long lost.

* * *

Maria sat alone in the boys' locker room, waiting for John and Shelton to come out of the showers so they could head to the hotel together. Bored and lonely, she whipped out her cell phone, ready to text her boyfriend. _How was the taping?_ She quickly typed. When she did not immediately receive a response, she grew suspicious. _He always replies right away_, Maria wondered. _Perhaps he was just caught up in some other business_. Before she could reassure herself further, John and Shelton emerged from the showers, fresh, clean, and clothed. She smiled.

"Let's go already," she whined. "I've been waiting for so long. The rest of the girls were being weird today, so I didn't hang out with them. I've been here for like, ever."

"Jeez, M," Shelton replied, raising his eyebrows. "We're going now. Come on."

"Yeah, come on, Maria," John chimed in. "We're leaving you!" He and Shelton joked, both racing to the door.

"Hey!" she called. "Don't _really_ leave me!" She raced after them, thoughts of CM Punk far from her mind.

They reached the car eventually, with Maria hoisted onto John's shoulders. "You were walking too slowly," he rationalized. She just giggled in response.

Soon the trio arrived at the hotel. They threw their belongings about the room, each settling and claiming their area. Maria called the bathroom to change, and John and Shelton rock-paper-scissor-ed for the bed. They would take one of the two mattresses on the bed and create a makeshift bed with it on the floor. The winner would get the comfort of the remaining mattress left on the bed.

"Best three out of five!" John argued as Maria exited the bathroom.

Shelton shoved the larger man onto the floor. "No way, man. I won two out of three. You get the floor."

"Asshole."

"Back at ya, buddy."

Maria walked unnoticed to her bed. The boys sensed something was not right with their favorite girl, so they decided to leave her alone. Whipping out her cell phone once again, she decided to call instead of text CM Punk. She missed his voice, and she felt that today was not a good day. His voice soothed her, and she hoped that it would do the same today when she needed him most.

"Come on, baby, answer. Ugh, why aren't you answering?" She dejectedly closed her phone, setting it on the nightstand. She lay down on the bed, rolling over on her side away from the boys. She was oblivious of the concerned looks they gave each other.

* * *

The next OVW taping, Maria confronted CM Punk right away. "Hey, Phil, why didn't you answer your phone on Monday? I texted you, and you didn't respond. Then I called after the show, but you didn't answer. I know you weren't asleep then; it was only 12:30."

"Oh, um. You know how it is, baby. I was probably just busy or something." CM Punk was nervous. He was almost caught.

"Oh, ok then. I was just wondering," Maria replied, back to her perky self.

"No need to worry, babe," he winked at her, taking her hand as they headed to the locker rooms.

**AN:** As I finished writing this chapter, I realized the whole straight-edge thing includes no promiscuous sex. I don't think there was any sex here (unless someone really looks into it and sees something that I didn't), and I don't think there will be in later chapters. At least I hope not.

In other news, my summer class ends on July 13. But, I go on vacation for a week in Cancun from July 16-23. I want to put out a chapter on the 13th if I can, because I won't have time on that Friday or Saturday. I'll try my best, and I'll be writing on the plane there and back. Love you all—Kiora Storm.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure if I put one up yet, but I don't own anything : )

**AN: **If anyone knows of any Trish/Carlito fics, please direct them my way. That way, when I get back, I'll have quite the list to tackle. I know there was at least one on FFN, like, a week ago, but I can't seem to find it now : ) I'll be back on the 23rd, and hopefully I'll have a chapter done by then. If not, look out for one that week. This chapter is to all my dedicated reviewers, especially Takerslady, cenamarialove, wwechaingangbabe, and everyone else out there.Reviews are lovely to see, especially after a long period without a computer. Love you guys --Kiora Storm.

**Chapter 6**

"Are you okay with this?" Cena questioned Maria. They were in the hotel room in which a vignette was scheduled to take place. As the cameramen were setting up various equipments, John decided he would try and rehearse the scene with Maria.

Stephanie McMahon decided that John, the babyface, would be demure enough to take the sex celebration away from the audience. Stripping away the raunch and vulgarity associated with Edge's Live Sex Celebration, John's Sex Celebration would be passionate and pure, loving in every sense of the word. He didn't know how he was going to get through this vignette without breaking kayfabe and telling Maria everything.

"Wait, how am I supposed to do this?" Maria inquired. "I'm supposed to come out the bathroom like that one time all sexy-fied and whatnot, climb into bed with you, and you're supposed to take off my bra and panties. John, I love you, but…"

"Yeah, that's kinda bad, huh?" he understood. "Maybe you could put another set of bra and panties in the bed, and I'll just throw those out from under the covers?"

"Uh, wouldn't people notice that they aren't the same?" She flicked John behind the ear.

"True," he conceded. After a moment of thinking, he came up with a new idea, "Why don't you just take everything off? It's not like I haven't seen it all anyway." His last comment earned him a smack from the Diva sitting next to him. "OK, I deserved that," he said, rubbing his arm.

* * *

Cena had just defeated Edge for the WWE Championship after chasing after him for weeks. True to his word, Cena promised a sex celebration with Maria. Unlike Edge, this celebration did not take place inside the squared circle, but in a hotel room not far from the arena.

The thin blanket surprisingly provided ample protection from the outside world. The only things visible to the camera were John and Maria from the neck up. Both were passionately involved in a lovers' kiss.

Moans and the sound of lips smacking against each other filled the room. John broke the silence. "Oh, I love you," he groaned. She whimpered, his ministrations proved too distracting to formulate a coherent response.

He disappeared from view, his head going under the blanket, letting imaginations run rampant at what he was doing to the Diva. She continued moaning until her breath hitched in her throat. A series of "oh's" slipped from her lips, presumably in response to John's actions. As her cries grew louder, the indistinct figure of John under the blanket moved more quickly. Silence once again took over the room, and Maria's figure was arched up in the throes of ecstasy.

John reemerged from under the blanket, a satisfied smile on his face. Looking at the lovely girl in front of him, he smiled before resuming kissing her.

* * *

"And, cut," the cameraman called, making the two immediately cease their actions.

Maria broke out in giggles, throwing the blanket off of her and John. He moved off her, smiling at her.

"What's so funny, Ria?" A confused smile graced his features.

"That," she managed to squeak out, "was so much fun!"

That remark made John laugh as well. "What in the world? How was that fun?" His laughter rang clearly and melodically through the room.

"It was like porn without sex! Oh, John, oh, yes," she mimicked her earlier acting performance, gyrating madly without knowing what she was doing to the man next to her. "I've always wanted to do that," she said, flopping backwards onto the bed as her laughter subsided.

"Ha, at least I don't have to deal with a jealous CM Punk after he sees this!" John began laughing, but was cut short by a swift slap across his face. Maria had closed off once again, either nervous because of CM Punk's reaction or angry because of John's labeling remark. _Phil doesn't get jealous, _she thought. _At least I hope._ "OK, I deserved that," he said, rubbing his now-red cheek.

Maria did not speak to him during the ride back to the arena.

* * *

Maria didn't check her text messages until she got back to the hotel room with John and Shelton. She got her bed, and John won the rock-paper-scissors competition to get the bed instead of a mattress on the floor. Her inbox was nearly full; a closer inspection confirmed that all the messages were from CM Punk. They all basically said the same thing, asking her what she was thinking to get into such an angle.

The beeping emanating from her cell phone signaled that she had at least one missed call. She ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated that at least fifteen missed calls were from said boyfriend.

John and Shelton looked at each other, silently communicating.

Shelton's furrowed brows and a nod to her direction indicated, _What's up with Maria?_

John put his hands to his heart, mockingly love-struck. His foolish expression conveyed, _CM Punk._

His friend raised his eyebrows in understanding, _Ohh._

_Later_, John mouthed to Shelton. He figured he'd tell his good friend everything later, when Maria was either asleep or gone. Perhaps Shelton could provide needed insight or advice concerning this situation.

This conversation went unnoticed as Maria's cell phone rang, the dulcet tones of her WWE: Wreckless Intent theme song filled the room. She answered it, disregarding the other two in the room.

"Hey, you called?"

The voice on the other end was barely comprehensible, but John and Shelton's silence allowed them to more easily attempt to piece together the conversation.

"Yeah, I called. Didn't you get my messages?"

"I just checked my phone. So what's up? You seem mad."

"Of course I seem mad! You were having sex with John fucking Cena!"

"I was not having sex with him!"

"It sure looked like you were. All that moaning and thrusting."

"I was faking it. It's called acting."

"Acting? Are you also acting in our bed?"

"What? How could you accuse me of that?"

"It looked pretty damn real to me, Maria."

"It wasn't! You should be able to see that. It's plain to see that he and I are just friends."

"Well maybe you should start looking harder!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means look more closely at what's going on in front of your eyes. Aw, shit." Incoherent mumbling came from CM Punk's end of the phone. John and Shelton made out a few phrases: "fuck," "Tiffany," and "shouldn't have." They could only wonder what those words meant. It looked like Maria didn't know either, or chose not to listen to the mumbling.

"Huh, you're talking like I'm the one with a problem."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You've been closing off to me. We rarely talk anymore, and you're always in some other world or something."

"Yeah, well, what I said earlier. Open your eyes." And with that, CM Punk hung up on a very confused Maria Kanellis.

* * *

Maria stood off to the side as her boyfriend was filming a vignette with this new girl, Tiffany. She was carrying on a conversation with her good friend Amy Dumas, better known as Lita, whom she had brought to the OVW taping. Maria smiled over at CM Punk before he and Tiffany began filming.

"So," Punk said in between kisses, "I was thinking, that maybe, you, would come, to ringside, with me."

Tiffany was wrapped around his body, her lithe form pressed up against him firmly. "Mmm, I'd love to," she said before kissing him once again.

CM Punk's hands were supposed to stay put on Tiffany's hips. But Maria was so caught up in her conversation with Amy that she didn't notice that Punk's hands moved down Tiffany's hips, around her butt, and up her alluringly brief skirt. When his fingers touched the damp cloth of her panties, Tiffany broke away, teasingly slapping him.

"Hey, no. You didn't earn it yet," Tiffany flirted. "Maybe if you," she trailed off, whispering naughty things into Punk's ear. His grin grew as she continued. Her smile was wide when she stopped speaking. She pulled away, walking towards the ring and luring CM Punk to follow her.

The cameraman called cut, but CM Punk continued to follow Tiffany as if the storyline became real life. This went unnoticed to Maria, who had left the scene a few minutes earlier with Amy. She felt as if nothing bad would happen, as if Tiffany was not a threat, so leaving was not an issue to her.

Tiffany was exceedingly pleased. Her affair with CM Punk went unnoticed to his devoted girlfriend. His affections were returned tenfold; it seemed as if his breakup with Maria was imminent. She was going to try anything to get that breakup to happen sooner.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** I apologize for not updating sooner! It's been pretty hectic since we got back from vacation, and discovering a new fandom doesn't really help the cause. But I found some time to type this up and hopefully elaborate. Here's the product.

**Chapter 7**

John Cena lay splayed across the couch in his locker room with Maria, his on-screen girlfriend, contentedly nestled between his legs. One stretched the length of the couch and his other foot rested on the floor. It was a few hours before RAW was set to begin, and the pair was discussing what they planned to do that night.

"Do I have to be ditzy tonight?" Maria asked her on-screen lover and off-screen friend. She sat up from her previous position, looking at him with pleading eyes.

John, thinking of their characters on screen and of the girl's personality off screen, decided that it would probably be ok to allow the girl a minor flub instead of a majorly idiotic moment onscreen. "How about you just mess up my name or something? A sort of throwback to when you messed up Adam's name that one time. You could say 'Jason' instead of 'John.'" He said, twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers.

She opted not to straighten her hair today, he noticed. The scent of jasmine wafted its way to his nose, but as badly as he wanted to nuzzle her soft curls, he could not. He should not. He would not, he resolved.

She leaned back again, resuming her position on his chest, enjoying the comfort. "Oh!" she began excitedly. "You could say something like 'You don't forget my name in bed.'" She giggled. It was not often that she had the opportunity to contribute her ideas to further the storyline.

"Not a bad idea, Ria," John nodded. "When I say that, can I cop a feel too?" He smiled when she slapped his hand away from doing anything inappropriate.

"Silly John," she began condescendingly. "You act like we're together outside of the ring, too."

He paused for a moment before beginning once again. "So is that a yes?"

Maria turned to look at him, her face scrunched in thought. She gave in, sighing, "Yes."

"Woohoo!" John exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air like he was Homer Simpson. He looked back down at her and realized her silence and unnatural passivity. "You didn't put up a fight. What's wrong?" Her usual fiery nature had disappeared, and he felt the need to search for the wildcat he slowly fell in love with.

"Just…" Maria sighed before resuming her explanation, "He thinks what we're doing for the camera, we're also doing on the road. He questions your motives all the time. I think he's jealous." She concluded uncertainly.

"Well who wouldn't be?" John asserted. Maria sharply turned to face him, a question marring her features. "I get to work with the most beautiful girl backstage," he said, stroking her hair.

"John," she sing-songed. While playfulness crept its way into her voice, her demeanor quickly reverted to its despondency. "He doesn't believe me though. I tell him just about every day. It's just a storyline. We're just friends."

"Don't worry, baby girl," John reassured her. Though it pained him inwardly to utter his next words, he mustered the courage to do so. "CM Punk should only worry if there's something to worry about. And since we're just friends, there's no problem, right?" Just friends, he thought to himself. Back at square one.

"Yeah, I guess so," she replied.

"Yeah," he emphasized. _Though I wish we were more._

* * *

For some reason unknown to the pair, RAW seemed unbearably tiring that night. So, as they walked tiredly to the near-empty parking lot, exhaustion was teasing their eyelids and bodies with sleep. John popped the trunk and lazily threw his duffel into it; Maria's bag soon followed. Shelton was at home taking care of his sick mother. Even though he didn't join them that night, Maria and John decided against another traveling buddy.

John took the seat behind the wheel. Before he could start the car, his eyes closed for longer than a blink, sleep seemingly taking over. He was jolted awake by Maria, who slapped his arm fiercely.

"Wake up, John," she yawned. "We gotta get to the hotel first."

Maria was right, he realized. As tired as they both were, he needed to stay awake long enough to get them to the hotel safely.

"Alrighty, then, but you have to keep me awake," he responded as he backed out of the parking space.

"Deal. What would you like to talk about this fine night, then? Love? Money? Fame? Anything."

"Movies. I finally saw _Troy_ the other day when I was chillin' in the hotel room."

He was interrupted before he could elaborate more on the subject. "_Troy_! Ohmigod, it was so sad when Garrett Hedlund died!"

A chuckle passed his lips, "I thought you'd be sadder because of Brad Pitt's death, but okay. Whatever floats your boat."

"Oh, but that was the saddest part! When he was sent his soldiers home and went with the others to burn Troy just so he could find Briseis and take her away with him! Then that asshole Paris who started the whole war in the first place _had_ to kill him when he was saving Briseis. They were perfect," she ended sadly.

He sighed and shook his head, "I should have known. At least Achilles died before he got sappier."

"He was a warrior! He couldn't be sappy even if he tried. The sappiest he got was when he said, 'You gave me peace in a lifetime of war,'" Maria paused. "Achilles told her that everything was more beautiful because mortals were doomed. For him and Briseis, love was more beautiful because theirs was doomed." She ended with a contented sigh.

"Oh. My. God," John deadpanned. "You just took a kick-ass war movie and turned it into the sappiest drama ever." Maria didn't respond, so he continued, "I mean, did you see Brad Pitt? Within the first ten minutes, he killed a guy that reminds me of Big Show with one stab. Amazing. And all his fighting scenes? He was swift like the mongoose. He murdered like no other—a shank here, headshot there. The best fight scene was the one with Hector. Pretty much awesome."

Maria still didn't respond. "Ria?" He looked over at the passenger seat, only to see the sleeping form of the gray-eyed Diva. The sight made him smile to himself.

Not long after, John arrived at the hotel. He woke her up long enough to half-carry her to the night check in desk. As he confirmed their room, she fell asleep again, her head nestled on his shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. A murmured "John?" slipped from her lips.

He rubbed her side as he signed some papers, murmuring, "It's ok, baby girl."

He carried her to their room, coercing a sleepy bagboy to follow them with their bags.

They arrived at the room, and he moved to set her on the bed. But, she wouldn't let go. Instead of fighting her strong grip, he crawled into bed next to her. She unconsciously snaked an arm up his chest.

John slept with much difficulty that night.

**AN:** If you couldn't tell, my new fandom is Troy; the pairing is Achilles/Briseis. I can't seem to get enough of them, much like I can't seem to get enough of doomed lovers. I hope this lived up to my style and caliber. The next chapter should be up soon, I hope. Read, review, love—Kiora Storm.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Just to clarify for P. Dizzle and any others who may be confused, Tiffany is just a character I made up. I'm not familiar with the people in OVW, and I needed a faceless person to pair with CM Punk.

And did anyone see CM Punk's debut on ECW? zOMG THAT WAS AWESOME. And I usually don't write in all caps. I'm now converted to CM Punk : )

Wow, I feel a little out of my element. I haven't written anything in a while, though my mind keeps coming up with and elaborating on many scenarios (for different things/fandoms, mind you). P. Dizzle has updated quite a bit since my last update, and start-a-revolution has already finished Between Friends and started two new stories. I'm so behind…I'll have chapter 9 up soon.

**Chapter 8**

Humming softly, Maria sat in front of the mirror in the hotel room, straightening her unruly hair. A loud noise made her jump slightly, causing her to quickly move to answer her cell, hoping to end the sounds of the incessant ringtone sooner.

"Hello?" she said as she set the flat-iron on the counter.

"Baby?" the voice on the other end inquired.

"Hey, Phil!" Excitement ran through her voice. "I was just about to leave to meet up with you. We're so lucky RAW's in Louisville today." A long pause followed before she whispered, "I miss you."

Phil gave a semi-frustrated sigh, "Yeah, that's what I was calling about."

"What?" Maria seemed disappointed.

"I can't make it; they need me here," he insisted.

She was quick to come up with a solution. She had to see him. "I could go watch you, then."

"No!" he responded, a little too quickly. "I mean, they don't want anyone here. They didn't tell me why." Phil's alibi was almost ruined by the giggle heard in the background. CM Punk quickly and quietly shushed the female voice.

Suspicious, Maria wondered, "Who was giggling?"

"Oh, um," he stammered. "It's Tiff. You remember, from the taping the other week. Management said we didn't seem close enough, so they sent us to get to know each other better." _If that's what you want to call it,_ he thought to himself. The nervousness he exuded once she called his bluff quickly melted. He thought he molded a plausible story for her to believe. _And it gets me time with Tiff, so s'all good._

"Woah, I swear I just heard a voice in the background. What'd she say?"

"Nothing," he said, again replying too quickly.

"OK," doubt filled her voice. "I'll just go out with the girls or something."

----------

Maria made her way through the mall, meandering through each store. Her conscience ate at her; she felt that something was amiss. She needed to talk to someone, to tell him or her everything she was thinking, feeling, suspecting.

She called the first person on her speed dial.

----------

Not far away, the sweet tones of "Excuse Me, Miss" by Chris Brown echoed through a surprisingly silent, but full, black Cadillac Escalade.

Triple H, eyes still focused on the road, called out to the tired passengers in the SUV. "John, that's you."

"Yes, Dad," Cena mocked. "Jeez, I think I know my own ringtone by now."

"Just making sure," he responded before being totally ignored by Cena.

"'Lo? 'Sup?" Cena quickly greeted.

"John?" a timid voice spoke on the other end.

"Hey," a smile brightened his face, perhaps evident to the person on the other end. The boys in the car, Edge, Carlito, Shelton, and Trips, suddenly gained newfound energy, making kissy-goo-goo faces to Cena. "Cut it out, guys," John jokingly threatened. They responded with laughter.

"Alright, so what's up, baby girl?" he said when the laughter subsided.

"I heard _giggling_," Maria said, sounding much like a five-year-old with a "scandalous" secret to tell.

He was confused, "Uh, no one's giggling here. At least, not anymore."

"Not you," she corrected. "When I called Phil."

"Oh. Shit." John didn't know how to react or respond. "Female?"

"I believe so."

He sighed. He knew something was up, but his instincts told him not to suspect anything yet. "Don't worry about it, Ria. Why would he be with any other girl when he has you? Whatever he said it was, it was probably the truth."

It was a while before Maria conceded, "Yeah, I guess you're probably right."

"I'm always right," John chuckled. "So what're you up to?"

Maria instantly perked up. "Shopping! I got—"

"I don't want to know," he cut her off. "I'll talk to you later though."

"Okidokie pokie!"

He chuckled, "How many times have I told you? It's 'okidokie _artichokie_.' Get it right."

"Ha ha. Bye already, jeez."

John knew the mentality of this CM Punk. He thinks he can just get away with fucking two girls. And unfortunately, the end didn't look good for Maria. "Another girl," John thought. He wanted to see CM Punk, to catch him in the act. Luckily, he and the boys were headed to the OVW show nearby.

"Trips, how fast are you going?" Edge asked.

"Why?" Triple H responded.

"Because I'm bored. And I kinda sorta maybe have to go to the bathroom."

"Suck it up. I'm not breaking any speed limits for you, asshole."

"Wow, I feel the love," Edge said despondently. Silence overtook the Escalade for a few moments.

"Are we there yet?" Edge whined.

"Shut up, Adam!"

They drove in silence for a few peaceful moments before Edge spoke up again. "What was our mission again?"

Paul sighed. Adam was like a kid with ADD. "Go to OVW and see who has what it takes to move up to WWE. We're checking for wrestling ability and backstage attitude"

"Right," Adam said. "And how are we supposed to do that?"

"Vince gave us front row seats and backstage passes."

Carlito spoke up, "Now that's cool."

----------

The boys maneuvered the backstage area, making sure that the OVW wrestlers know their rank between themselves and the WWE's finest. Edge's attention deficiency kicked in, causing him to lag behind the rest of the guys. While Paul, Carlito, Shelton, and John were interacting with the wrestlers, Edge found the catering area. "Ooh, a donut!" he exclaimed, a la Homer Simpson.

He walked around with the chocolaty, sprinkly confection in hand and saw a familiar face. CM Punk and his girl were making out.

"Go, CM!" he quietly cheered. He wandered through the building to find the rest of the guys. "Damn, guys," he exclaimed when he made his way back to the boys. "CM Punk's got a girl pushed up against a wall!"

"She hot?" Carlito inquired.

"Hell yeah. He's a damn lucky man."

"Did you recognize her?" Paul asked.

"Uh," Edge wondered. "I think she's the girl who has a storyline with him."

"No cameras, right?" Shelton questioned.

"Nope."

_Shit_, John thought to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** This will probably be my last update for a long time. School starts on Thursday, and senior year has so many responsibilities that go along with it. It kinda scares me. But yeah. Hope you guys like—Kiora Storm.

**Chapter 9**

_Shit,_ John thought to himself. He knew he had to tell Maria, but he didn't want to risk his friendship with her by telling her. If he did anything out of the ordinary, he may never get a chance wit her. The boys got ready to go to the next show. John and Adam were instructed to drive and keep each other awake.

"Adam," John started when everyone else had fallen asleep. "CM Punk has a girlfriend."

"Yeah, I know," Adam said. "He was practically fucking her up against the wall."

John paused. "That's not who I was talking about," he said slowly, cryptically.

Edge furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"He's dating Maria," he started. "And I'm not sure if I want to tell her."

Adam looked over in confusion. "Is she your friend?" A sincere question from a sincere friend.

"Yeah—"

"Then what are friends for?"

"What if she doesn't believe me?" John asked. "What if she never speaks to me again?"

"Would that be so bad?" Adam joked, a jab to Maria's ditzy on-screen personality. He gasped, "Why do you care so much?"

"Why do you respond to my questions with more questions?"

"Haha, I don't know," Edge laughed. "The lack of sleep, it's getting to me."

"She's my friend," John stated after a few moments. "I want her to be happy."

"You want her to be happy with _you_," Edge teased.

He shook his head. "How do you know me so well?"

"It's a gift," Adam stated. "It comes with being an amazingly handsome Champion."

That remark earned him a slap from the driver. "Cocky bastard," he joked.

"So…"

"So…?"

"You really like her?" Edge whined.

"Yeah, I do," John enthusiastically nodded.

"Then your heart will tell you. Follow your heart. Cheesy, I know, but true."

"OK, a lot of help you are. I'm coming to you because I don't know what my heart is telling me."

"Mmkay. Let's see. Bring it up subtly. Like, see if she knows the girl in the storyline with CM. If she does, ask her to tell you about the girl. Keep trying to get info, y'know? See how much Maria knows about this girl. Ask her if she's been having problems with CM."

"She called me the other day about that," John informed him. "Before we left for this show. She said she heard a giggle in the background when she called CM."

"Well, there you go. She suspects something," he tapped John on the arm. "You're getting closer. I know my girl always gets to know the girls in storylines they throw at me. Not like I'd ever cheat on her. But still, it's the same girlfriend mentality. If she thinks someone's a threat, she'll do all she can to get to know the other woman. If she doesn't care anymore or she doesn't think the girl's a threat, she won't know much."

"Okay," John nodded, recently informed of what to do. "I'll ask her when she and I get together for storyline."

"Atta boy," Edge cheered. "Now tell me, what's so special about Maria?"

"What?" John took his hand of the steering wheel to punch his friend. "She's amazing and beautiful and sweet and caring and funny, and oh, her laugh…"

----------

The boys arrived at the arena. They checked their schedules for the night before heading in separate directions, promising to meet up in an hour to head to the gym. Adam found Lita and promised to meet up with John later, before the night's end.

John looked at the schedule for the first time. Before he could find his name on the paper, he was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to confirm his suspicions; it was Maria. He didn't know how to act, even more so now that he knew for a fact that CM Punk was cheating on her.

"Hey, Ria," John smiled awkwardly.

"We have another thing tonight," Maria eliminated the need for him to read the rest of the schedule. "Some taping backstage, and I'm going to the ring with you tonight. And Steph got a genius idea from Adam and Amy," Maria said sarcastically. "She wants us to dress all gangsta…to match and all. Well, that won't be a problem for you, but…" she trailed off. "I just need to hit the mall and get something. You want to come along?"

Shopping would be intimidating for most men. Unfortunately, John had never gone shopping with a girl before. "Uh…sure?"

"Great!" Maria said, pulling him in the direction of her car. "Let's go now."

----------

_Maria must've tried on the whole store_, John thought to himself as he sat outside the dressing rooms in d.e.m.o. Discarded among the floor lay Baby Phat tube tops, Ecko Red halters, Apple Bottom jeans, G-Unit skirts. Sure, each outfit she tried on left him breathless, but he was tired. And extremely bored. He lost count of how many outfits she tried on after they hit twenty: a red crop top with jean capris accented with the same red fabric, courtesy of Roca Wear.

She came out in another outfit with a frown. "What do you think?"

"You look gorgeous," John answered truthfully.

"I look hideous!" Maria wailed.

"Hey, now," John started. "Oh! Idea! What if you just cut up one of my shirts like Lita does with Edge's?"

Maria stopped and pondered the notion. "Great idea, John! OK, so I'll get the Apple Bottoms jeans. Shoes?" she wondered. "Heels or hi-tops?"

"Which one will require more shopping?"

"Hi-tops."

"Then heels," John decided. "Now, let's go to lunch. I'm hungry."

----------

They sat in a small Italian restaurant, secluded from society. John was waiting for Maria to finish her story about the new love of her life—her puppy, Mason—before following Adam's advice.

"So how's Phil? When do you think Vince will let him debut?" John casually asked.

"Oh, I don't know," she admitted. "You know, he just started a new storyline in ECW with Tiffany, so it might be a while."

"Oh, really? I didn't know that. Do you know anything about the angle?" Smooth, John, he thought to himself

"Um, I think it's a rivalry between him and this other guy over Tiffany."

"What's Tiffany like? Do you know her?" he wondered.

"Jeez, John, do you like her or something?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "I mean, I haven't even met her before. I'm just curious."

"Well," she started. "I don't know her that well. I only met her briefly one night when I was there with Amy. But she seems nice enough."

John silently thanked any gods that were smiling down on him at that moment. He was surprised that Maria didn't get to know Tiffany further; if Adam was right and if she loved Phil as much as she said she did, she would've known the girl inside out. But if Adam was right—God, he hoped Adam was right—then that meant Maria didn't care about Phil anymore.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Phil and Tiffany were hooking up—again—in Louisville.

**AN:** The shit hits the fan next chapter, though I don't know when that will be up. Personal statements, college applications, AP classes, do I have to take the SAT's again? All these things are running through my head, and I don't know when I'll get a chance to myself. I'll try my best, though. Read, review, love—Kiora Storm.


End file.
